What We Are
"I don't understand." "Why not?" "This can't be the truth." "...If only you knew." The Blurb When you arrive, you remember nothing. It's a defence mechanism. If you don't know who you are, you don't have to deal with the consequences of being you. Those of Pine Copse wish to regain their memories... but at what cost? Chapter One: Stand Still My brain felt fuzzy. My breathing pattern felt off, and my eyes were stuck shut. Alright, you can do this. One, two, three. There we go. Okay, I can breathe. The next step was opening my eyes. They felt heavy, and I couldn't pry them apart. I focused on forcing my eyelids open. Slowly, they fluttered, and I began to see something. Trees. Grass. Okay, I'm in a forest. That's not so bad, right? But as I looked around, I realized something was wrong. I couldn't remember where I was, or why I was here? Nothing looked familiar. I struggled to my paws, but nothing was coming. My fur felt oddly wet, as if I'd just been caught in a freak rainstorm. "That's alright. I fell asleep somewhere weird, and it rained overnight. That's fine. I'm okay." I muttered to myself, desperate to justify my situation. Then something hit me. I couldn't remember my name. I struggled, wracking my brain, but it wouldn't come, "You can do it... It's got to be something..." Nothing came, and I sighed. Already, I was defeated. Amnesia. Cliche as it is, it must be that. I'll probably remember soon. I just need to jog my memory a bit. I began walking, carefully putting one paw in front of the other. I felt a little shaky on my legs, but I continued going. I wasn't really sure where I was walking, but I figured I'd be fine. Suddenly, the ground beneath me disappeared, and I tripped. I couldn't find my footing, and I ended up tumbling down a hill. "What the..." I mumbled, trying to stand. I couldn't. I was too weak. A loud voice called out, "We've got another one!" It was the last thing I heard before I blacked out. ~ When I woke, I was warm, and my fur was dry. The air smelled fresh, and leafy. I opened my eyes, and realized I was in a den. Moss covered the ground, and I blinked a few times. Suddenly, another cat entered the den. "Who are you?" I mewed, confused. The cat dipped his head, "Don't worry about that. You took a bit of a fall. Are you doing alright?" I shrugged, "I'm okay, I guess." He purred, "Good. Aura wants to see you. Can you walk?" Probably not. I nodded, and stood up. I felt a bit strongers than before, and I followed the tom out of the den. He jumped to the ground as we left the den, and I copied him. He fell in line with me, as we walked. I appeared to be in a meadow. Several other cats were sitting nearby, and a few were staring right at me. The tom mewed, "Most of them fell down too. It only happens the first time." I blinked, but didn't ask for clarification. He lead me to a rock alcove, with hanging moss over the entrance. "Go inside. Aura is waiting for you." I dipped my head, and pushed past the moss. Sure enough, a sleek she-cat was waiting for me. "Greetings." She mewed gently, "I am Aura, and this is Pine Copse. You took quite a fall." I looked away, "Don't remind me." Aura mewed, "It is a pleasure to have you. Before I continue, do you remember anything about yourself?" I shook my head, "I don't even remember my name." "That's fine." Aura meowed, "If you don't remember by tonight, I will initiate a naming ceremony." Naming ceremony? "Your name is one of the few things you are allowed to 'keep.'" Aura continued, "However, some do not even recieve that luxury." I nodded, attempting to follow along with what Aura was saying, "I just... I wish I could remember something." Aura mewed, "Well, they can't take away your instincts. You still know how to hunt, fight, and heal." Heal? I repeated my thought, "Heal?" "You met Dusk, correct?" Aura mewed. I assumed she meant the tom from earlier, and nodded. Aura mewed, "He had knowledge of herbs and healing. We don't know why, but since he does, he is our Healer." I mewed, "That makes sense." Aura purred, "Now, I suppose you need a tour. Follow me, and I'll show you around." ~ "This is the Copse. We camp here, in the valley." Aura mewed, "Among us, we have Hunters, Mercenaries, Cadets, and Mothers. "Mercenaries are the fighters. They defend Pine Copse from attackers, such as foxes, badgers, and other cats. Some of our Mercenaries train Cadets, others do not. "Cadets are those in training to be either Mercenaries or Hunters. Every day, their trainer teaches them more things. "Hunters and Mothers are self-explanatory."